Tsitsipas reverses victory and advances to the top 16 of the US Open men's singles, overcoming first-set losses for three consecutive games

Tsitsipas. (Reuters)

[Reporter Liang Weiming/Comprehensive Report] Stefanos Tsitsipas once again came from behind after four fierce sets, and finally defeated the 18th seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic 2:6, 6:1, 7:6 (7:3), 6:1. The Greek one-handed backhand star competed in the US Open for the 9th consecutive time. For the first time in his career, he won 3 consecutive games and advanced to the top 16 of the men's singles.

"I'm trying to accept the ancient Greek philosophy. Before setting foot on the battlefield, prepare the worst-case scenario in my mind." Tsitsipas, who has been a troubled golfer in recent years, has lost three consecutive first sets at the US Open this time and reversed the decline, including an upset in the first round when he upset France's 10th seed and Cincinnati Masters champion Arthur Fils), has now defeated his seeded rivals again, and has broken through the third round barriers in 2020 and 2021, reaching the top 16 for the first time since 2018. "I have accepted that very bad situations may occur. Things will not always go as I want, so playing with this mentality allows me to look at on-court performance from a slightly different perspective than in the past."

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Tsitsipas, who has reached two Grand Slam finals, has been suffering from back injuries in recent years. The ATP world ranking once dropped from the best No. 3 to 88. Now, although he is not ranked in the US Open, he has bounced back and made a comeback. The 28-year-old specially thanked the huge local Greek fans in New York for their enthusiastic support. "This may not be my best year, but at least I am happy to get up every day without any pain and can concentrate on training without any worries."